Editor's Note: The following is our latest 4-H Member of the Month, sponsored by Nelson Motors and Equipment. We thank Nelson Motors for their continued support of this initiative, and we salute 4-H for continuing to make a difference in the lives of young people.
4-H Member of the Month: Owen Goetz
Club: Outram-Madigan 4-H Club
Age: 18
Age group: Senior
Years in 4-H: 13
Owen Goetz has had great experiences through 4-H. And he has a heifer herd to prove it.
Goetz is an 18-year-old senior member of the Outram-Madigan 4-H Club who has been part of the organization for 13 years. He joined because his older sister Colesey was a member at the time.
“I saw her working on her steers when I was younger, and I thought that it would have been awesome for me to join 4-H. So, I started off with two black-and-white steers,” said Owen Goetz.
His mother Tammi used to be in 4-H was she was younger.
Owen Goetz said he has learned communication and business skills. He has been a part of the 4-H public speaking program, and has advanced to districts six times and regionals once.
“It has taught me how to go talk to someone and also how to do paperwork and figure things out,” said Goetz.
As for the cattle herd, it has grown to eight heifers.
“When I was in Grade 4, we were allowed to show heifers, so I bought one heifer to show, and then we bred her that year, and she had a calf, and it was a heifer and I kept it. I bought another heifer for the next year, and then it really just grew from there.”
He has also been to Toronto through a 4-H exchange trip.
In the show and sale, which is a big part of 4-H each year, the show is a lot of fun. During the sale, he gets to greet a lot of the prospective buyers and other companies, and he sends letters to those who bought his steers.
Goetz expects that what he has learned through 4-H will help him in the future. He would recommend 4-H and the Outram-Madigan Club to other people.
